Embraer has confirmed its participation in Airshow China 2024, in Zhuhai, which is the largest exhibition of its kind in the country.
Created in 2003, the airshow has had the presence of the Brazilian company in all its editions, but Embraer is going through a challenging time in the Chinese market.
After years in which airlines in the country purchased its commercial and executive jets and even an assembly line was established in partnership with Harbin between 2004 and 2016, Embraer has found it difficult to close new deals in China.
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Although it obtained type certification for the E190-E2 and E195-E2 models from the CAAC, the company still does not have any Chinese orders.
Embraer’s argument, however, is quite strong, since neither the C909 (formerly ARJ21) nor the C919 compete directly with the E195-E2 in terms of seating capacity.
The two commercial jets are produced by the state-owned COMAC and have been prioritized in China.
However, closing orders in China usually means dealing with the country’s government, which controls most of the airlines.
Alternative suppliers
Once again, Embraer will present its Market Outlook for the commercial aviation and air cargo market in China.
Through these, the Brazilian company will show the potential demand for its aircraft in the country, including the E190F and E195F freighters, based on conversions from regional jets.
But while finding customers has been difficult, Embraer promises to try another approach in relation to China, that of finding new suppliers for its projects.
As the company’s CEO Francisco Gomes Neto acknowledged in an interview last week, supply chain bottlenecks have affected deliveries of its aircraft, especially the E2.
While Pratt & Whitney’s GTF engines are the main reason for the delays, there are also problems with structural parts, the executive said.
Therefore, a possible collaboration with Chinese companies could create an alternative source of supply and perhaps open the door to orders from the country’s huge aviation market.
